Methi Mathri

March 11, 2019
Motions and Emotions
16 Comments

Methi mathri is a popular tea time snack from Northern India. Festive seasons like Diwali and Holi are incomplete without this deep fried snack. Dried fenugreek leaves gives a special flavour to this mathri and you will love the crispy and flaky texture of it.

Being grown up in Eastern part of India I do not have any fond memories of mathri however we used to enjoy kucho nimki, tinkona nimki and elojhelo nimki. These are the snacks bring back the memory of childhood festive season. Mothers and Grandmothers used to start the preparation of making 'namkeen' (savoury) and 'mithai' (sweets) week or 10 days before the festival. They used to make in batches and I remember half of it would be over before the festival day comes and they used make another batch to refill the 'dabbas' (jars).

My first experience of methi mathri was from a store bought packet which was good but I did not get the real taste until I prepared it at home. When you take a bite of it, you will experience a blast of flavours in your mouth as it contains dry methi leaves (kasuri methi), ajwain and crushed black peppercorns. There are two versions of methi mathri: one is thin and the other one is little thick. Thin one is similar to chips and I found it little hard in texture. However, the thick one is totally different from the thin one as it has several layers inside it which makes it crispy, crunchy and flaky. Check the below image, you can see the layers inside the mathri just similar to puff pastry.

Methi mathri is an easy and tasty snack and requires minimum ingredients to prepare it at home. You find all the ingredients in your pantry so anytime you can prepare this snack and enjoy with a cup of tea.

Can I store Methi mathri? If yes, how can I store them?
Yes you can store methi mathris. After frying the mathris take them out in a kitchen napkin to soak the excess oil. Later allow them to cool. Once cooled completely store in an air tight container for a week.

Can I use oil instead of ghee while kneading the dough?
Yes you can use oil instead of ghee. However, ghee gives a better texture and makes flavourful mathris.Why my mathris are soft inside but outside totally golden brown?
This is a common problem and many people complaints that their mathris don't turn out flaky and crispy instead soft inside. First of all you have to knead the dough well which I have mentioned in the recipe procedure. One more important fact is the way of frying brings a lot of difference in the taste and texture. It is important to fry the mathris under low to medium heat. So that the inside cooks well as well as outside does not burn.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yields: 20 to 25Methi MathriIngredients
All purpose flour / maida - 2 cups
Carom seeds/ Ajwain - 1/2 teaspoons
Kasuri Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
Black peppercorns - 1 teaspoon, crushed
Salt to taste
Cold water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 4 tablespoon
Refined oil - 1 cup, for deep frying

The mathris look so tempting Amrita. We usually make the flatter version but this is different and worth trying. Methi always adds a delightful taste to mathris. I too remember when my kids were young that any namkeen we prepared at home for festivals barely made it to the festival day. My mother in law would have to hide some for the festival day.

Wow... The methi mathris are so crispy and flakey. Feel like grab some from the screen. You said it right perfect kneading and frying in right temperature are the keys. Perfect share for Holi. An advance HAPPY HOLI!

Thank you for visiting my blog and giving your valuable comments which inspire and motivate me. If you like my blog and want to get regular updates, please follow my blog through, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or subscribe through mail.